Collapsible last



July 24, 1951 A. w. M NEIILL COLLAPSIBLE LAST Filed April 4, 1951 R m m m Patented July 24, 1951 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE LAST 7 V Alexander W'. McNeill, Lynn, Mass. Application April 4., 1951, Serial No. 219,216

I This invention comprises a new and improved last constructed and arranged to collapse freely, completely and quickly, and on that account being particularly useful in the manufacture of slip lasted shoes, and at the same time having novel connecting mechanism that is effective to hold the last in solid locked condition with an exceptional degree of firmness and security. Accordingly the last of my invention is also well adapted and useful in the manufacture of welt and cemented shoes where the last must be subjected to severe pressure in the'sole laying operation or in other steps of the manufacturing process.

For many years shoemakers have sought for a last construction that would permit a quick and substantial collapse and shortening of the last in order that it may be withdrawn easily from the upper without undue strain, and which also will insure the lengthening of the last after it, has been fully introduced into the upper. These characteristics are particularly important in, the manufacture of slip lasted shoes having uppers of delicate material.

Another essential requirement is that the operations of locking and unlocking of the last must be effected practically instantaneously. For example, the time required to manipulate a threaded connection makes all. such mechanism entirely unsuitable for modern shoemaking requirements. In accordance with the present invention these operations require no more time than is needed to break or straighten a toggle joint.

Still another requirement is that the last when in locked or expanded condition must have sufficient strength to withstand very heavy pressure without danger ofbreakage. It is important that the hinge pins should be so located that they will not split the Wood of the" last or pull out in resisting sole laying pressure'or the like.

The last of the present invention possesses all,

these desirable characteristics and others that have been found extremely important by the shoemaking industry; Going more into detail, my improved last includes in its structure a tie link, that reinforces the peak of the forepart against splitting and permits location of the anchor pins of the connecting mechanism in positions most favorable to the rapid collapsing movement of the last. On account of its tapering shape the peak of the forepart is the most delicate portion of the last and heretofore manylasts have been damaged by splitting under internal toggle'pressu-re augmented by external sole 1ay- 8 Claims. (Cl. 12-136) r the toggle passes the dead center.

9 in mg pressure. Consequently the location of the anchor pins has been governed by the necessity of providing sufficient solid wood to withstand such pressure and such locations have not always favored a free and quick collapse of the last.

Now, however, there is provided a positive metal connection between the upper and lower portions of the forepart where it is most effective to reinforce the peak of the forepart'.

Another feature of my improved last is that the parting out between the heel and forcpart includes initial cut at right angles to the last bottom creating a solid butt which preserves the bottom line of the last and obviates the danger of splitting the bottom of the for part. This is particularly important in those cases where the manufacturer employs an upper which is a half site under the last and so produces alasted shoe which is excessively tight and which must be pulled off the last with brutal force. Where the parting cut is at an angle, the forepart is likely to slip up slightly with a powerful wedging effect- Another feature of my improved last consists in a toggle plate of skeleton form of such shape as to permit a slight yield when the joint of This permits the employment of stiffer and stronger tension links and a somewhat more favorable location of the anchor pins for the tension links so that more wood is left in the last bottom and there is no danger of the pins pulling through.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected forpurposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a view in elevation of the last with portions broken away to expose the connecting mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the last in collapsed condition,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Fig. l, and 1 Fig. 5 is a view' of a modified linkage.

3 The last as herein shown comprises a heel part II! and an interfitting forepart II. The meeting faces of these parts are complementary to each other except that they diverge toward the cone of the last to provide an open space into which an operating portion of the connecting mechanism projects so that it may be manipulated in collapsing or straightening the last. The parting line includes a straight portion I2 disposed at'right angles to the last bottom providing a butt of solid wood. The heel part is provided with a slot I3 and the forepart with a corresponding slot I4, and in these registering slots the connecting mechanism is housed.

The-connecting mechanism comprises a pair of elongated tension links I5 herein shown as curved and slotted, but not necessarily so. They are identical in shape and provided with an anchor pin I6 in the forepart and an anchor pin I! in the heel part. These links are disposed in the lower portion of the last. They are them selves the subject matter of my prior Patent No. 2,188,414 dated January 30, 1940, although they are herein shown as employed in a new combination,

The tension links I5 are separated by an intermediate spacer or toggle plate l8 which is pivotally mounted upon the anchor pin I! for the rear end of the tension links. The toggle plate I8 is connected by a pivot pin IQ to a pair of angular toggle links 22. At their forward ends the toggle links 28 are mounted upon an anchor pin 2| in the forepart of the last. The pin I9 constitutes the knuckle joint of the toggle system and this is broken slightly past the dead center position as indicated in Fig. 1 when the toggle is straightened and the last locked in extended position. As shown in Fig. 1,v the tension links I5 yield slightly and permit full straightening of the toggle links in reaching their final locked position. The togglelinks are locked in this position by engagement of the angular toggle links 29 with the upper edge of the tension links I5 as shown in Fig. 1 The toggle links 20. are herein shown as having parallelarms extending upwardly into the'open space between the parts of the last and these are provided with eyes that may be engaged by a hook manipulated by the operator for convenience in breaking the toggle.

A substantially vertical tie link 22 extends be- I tween the anchor pins I6 and 2| and constitutes a positive metal connection between these areas in the forepart of the last. The tie link 22 lies in the same plane as the toggle plate I8 and between the pair of tension links I5 and the pair of angular toggle links 20. This link is a stationary element in the last constructionand performs its function independently of the movementof the links of the connecting mechanism.

When the last is locked in its fully extended position as shown in Fig. l, the tension links I5 hold the meeting surfaces of its two parts firmly in contact and in the proper alignment for the bottom line of the last. The toggle I3-2il exerts powerful separating pressure upon the anchor pins I! and 2| so that the two parts of the last are held in operative position by the leverage pressure of the toggle in cooperation with the tension of the links !5. Meanwhile the tie link 22 prevents any separating movement between-the anchor pins I5 and 2| which would otherwise beresisted only bythe wood of the iorepart. Heretofore in some case's the strength of the Woodin this area has been insuflicient to prevent the peak of the forepart from splitting. In Fig. 5 is shown a modified connecting linkage similar in many respects to that already described and within the scope of the present invention. In this linkage the toggle plate 23, instead of being solid as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is skeletonized so as to permit a slight spring yield when the toggle 20-23 is straightened; that is, the distance between the anchor pin I1 and the pivot pin 19 is permitted to contract slightly as the toggle passes its dead center position. In this mechanism the tension links I5 are shown as reversed in position and in this combination these links are made somewhat heavier and stiffer than the links I5 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 because they are not required to yieldin straightening the toggle, or if they yield their elongation is less than that required of the tension links I5 because of the yielding capacity of the skeletonized toggle plate 23.

In collapsing the last it is necessary. only to insert a hook in the eye of the upwardly extend.

ingv branches of the toggle links 2!! and pull them forcibly upwardly, whereupon the meeting faces of the heel and foreparts permit rapid shorten-- with a substantial thickness of wood and Without requiring the presence of a slot the last bottom. V I

Having thus disclosed .my invention and de scribed in detail illustrative embodiments there-f of, I claim as new and desire to Secure'byLetters Patent:

l. A collapsible last comprising interfitting' heel and foreparts having registering slots, and connecting means located in saidslots and in eluding a flexible link having an anchor pin'iir each of said parts, toggle links alsoconnectin f said parts, anchor pins therefor, one of said pins. passing through one end of saidpfiexible link and. the second pin being spaced a substantial distance from th'eother end of the said flexible link, and a tie link positively connectingthe two anchor pins in the forepart of the last.

2. A collapsible last comprising interfitting' heel and foreparts, a double tension link, anchor pins at the ends of the link in the respective last parts, a spacer plate located between the two members of the tension link and pivoted on" the rear anchor pin of the link, a doubleto'ggle link pivotally connected to the spacer plate. an anchor pin therefore located inthe forepart of thelast, and a tie link connecting the latter anchor pin with the anchor pin at the fo'rwa'r'd'j end of the double tension link. .1

3. A collapsible last having interfitting heel and foreparts, a tension link connecting saidparts near'the last bottom, anchor pins for the link in the respective last parts, a toggle plate pivoted, upon the rear anchor pin of the tension link, an angular toggle link pivoted on the toggle plate and having an upstandin operating arm whereby,

opening in;

the toggle may be broken or straightened, "an

anchor pin in the forepart of the last for the said angulartoggle link, and a tie link connect-.-

ing the latter anchor pin with the anchor pin at the forward end of the tension link.

4. A collapsible last comprising interfitting heel and foreparts, a curved and slotted tension link connecting the two parts in the lower portion of the last, a toggle plate-curved at its lower edge in conformity to one edge contour of the tension link, a toggle link pivoted to the toggle plate and having a contact surface shaped to engage the other edge of the said link when the toggle as a whole is moved to, its substantially straightened condition, and a link providing a positive tie between the forward ends of the tension link and the toggle link.

5. A collapsible last comprising complementary heel and foreparts, links connecting the said parts, and a vertical tie link disposed in the forepart and having a pin at each" end thereby supporting the top of the forepart against splitting.

6. A last of the character described in claim 5 in which the two last part are separated in part by a short cut at right angles to the bottom of the last.

7. A collapsible last comprising complementary heel and foreparts, a system of linkage connecting said parts and including toggle links, one of which is in skeleton form and can yield in passing the dead center position.

8'. A collapsible last comprising heel and toreparts, a vertical tie link in the forepart tying together spaced areas therein, tension links disposed On both sides of the tie link connecting the two parts of the last, and toggle links also dlsposed on both sides of the tie link and constituting one member of a toggle system between the two parts of the last.

ALEXANDER W. MCNEILL.

No references cited. 

